Crieff Past and Present Published on the 7th JANUARY 1888

 The ’45 Uprising and what happened in Crieff

In the three and a half  years I have  been editing the Strathearn Perthshire  Local History Blog , numbers  following the site have  risen considerably. Currently we have  some 3 000 " hits " per month and what  has proven more than a little  surprising is the geographical distribution of  our readers across the globe.  Approximately  one third are  from the United Kingdom Regrettably we cannot identify  the actual number logging  on from here in Scotland but in probability  it will be around 500 to 600 or , as a percentage somewhere between  15 and 20 % . The largest viewing  contingent outside the UK  is  from the USA closely  followed  by Germany . Statistics  show that we have  a considerable number of viewers in Russia, France , China and Canada as well as in other  countries  scattered a cross the Globe ! Do trust we can continue  to keep you all interested !

I have  chosen a topic  which invariably arouses  passion and interest when discussed  amongst Scots at home and abroad . The Jacobites - followers  of the Royal House of Stewart - rose against William and his wife Mary who had  been crowned joint monarchs of Scotland England and Wales in 1689 . Their  succession was known as the " Glorious Revolution " as it had ousted the Catholic James II of  Great  Britain and Vll of Scotland .James supporters  were known as Jacobites .The revolution  may have been glorious in the eyes of the staunch Presbyterians  of the Scottish Lowlands particularly those  who inhabited the counties of Ayr and Dumfries and Galloway in the  south west corner of Scotland . This  was the land of the " Covenanters " and who themselves  had  been victims of persecution in those turbulent days . 

There is a degreee of romanticism   about the Jacobites and  indeed  the not so " Bonny " , Prince Charlie ! Hollywood in the 1950s turned out a Brigadoon style stinker on the Prince  featuring the so called Scottish David Niven ( he was actually born in London ! ) - film star of yesteryear ! It was a a flop at the box office .

Notwithstanding , Scots , do have a  tendency generally  to support the Jacobites instead of the Hanoverian " Redcoats " in any reproduction of the skirmishes of the 18th Century . Much of the  failings of both  the 1714 and 1745 Uprisings are attributable  to the incompetence  of the Jacobite leaders . In the 1714 " set  to ", the incompetence of the Earl of  Mar played a not inconsiderable part in its failings . In the 1745  it was the  inability of the command  to listen  to Lord George Murray , an outstanding General , that posted  failure . Much of the aftermath  of the '45  cast a dark cloud  over the country . The brutality of the Duke of Cumberland lived on and he is always  known as " Butcher Cumberland " north of the Tweed . Cumberland was the third  and youngest son of George ll . The plant  known as Sweet William  was named after  him . In Scotland the name 'Stinking Billy' was applied to a weed by the Highland Scots - it is Ragwort which is smelly and poisonous to horses.  Memories  are indeed long !

I reproduce  below an account  about the '45 Uprising and how it affected Crieff . Written in 1888 it recalls  a number of facts handed  down through local families and accordingly makes history that bit closer ! Read on :


In 1745 the Town was again interested in the Rebellion . The Duke of Perth entered actively into the Uprising but few of his tenants would follow .Some of the young men of Crieff joined the Rebels , amongst them being Lewis Caw, who held a medical appointment in the Highland Army , and is reported to have been a great favourite  with Prince Charles, who in the later period of his wanderings in Scotland adopted the name of Lewis Caw .

 On the 19^th August 1745 , the standard of rebellion was raised at Glenfinnan and at the same time General Sir John Cope , Commander  in Chief of the army in  Scotland, left Edinburgh with an army of nearly 2 000 for the North . They encamped for a short time east of Crieff, on the grounds of Ferntower , where they were visited by the Duke of Athole and the Laird of Glengarry. The spring of water at the spot is now known as Cope’s Well . It was expected that many recruits would  join the army in its Northward march, but, being disappointed , General Cope sent back from Crieff, 700 stands of arms . He was much inclined  to return to Edinburgh, but peremptory orders from Government made him continue his Northward journey . After Prince Charlie had  run his race in the South he returned  with his army to the North. Halting at Crieff in February 1746 for two or three days, he divided his army into two divisions purposing to reach Inverness by different routes .

During the times the Prince was about the town, the various tradesmen had full employment , and tradition says that they had  to make it a labour of love with a view to get quit of the starving and  unthankful host .The last generation used  to recapitulate the stories of their forefathers at this eventful time . One saddler  who repaired some of the trappings  of the Prince’s horses was known as Prince Morrison, which title descended to his posterity. When the Highlanders left Crieff, they forced all who had horses in and around the town to enter an appearance and convey the baggage  to Aberfeldy , a distance of  23 miles over “ moors and mosses many O . “ Payment was promised on reaching this village, but instead of payment each man was glad to give the baggage and the army the slip and seek the nearest way home. 

The Highlanders were anxious to give the town another “singe “ but the Duke of Perth prevented it . We have frequently heard  stories of that time , several of which referred  to the immense quantity of spoil the Highlanders – acting independently- used to carry away Northwards over the Glenturret Hills .Pots and pans  were favourite spoil. An old man named  McRorie , who lived at Bridge of Turret , West from Crieff, about the beginning of this century witnessed their movements in small and large parties away up to the glen . Ferntower House , the old Drummond Arms Hotel  and several other houses were reported to have lodged the Prince .